Cavs News: Kevin Love Could Miss More Than a Month With Latest Injury

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been without the services of Kevin Love for the past two games, a stretch that’s now expected to be much longer. That’s because one new report suggests that the veteran will remain out of the lineup for more than a month due to a toe injury.

Brian Windhorst and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN indicated that few options exist other than simply sitting out games:

“The Cavaliers and Love are consulting with doctors early this week to consider the limited short-term solutions available, but intense pain and the combination of an 0-6 start make it less logical for Love to push through the injury.

“Rest would be the solution for Love’s toe injury, which has persisted since the preseason.”

Exactly when Love suffered the injury remains unclear, but he only played in one preseason contest. Once the regular season began, he played in the team’s first four games and put up solid numbers by averaging 19 points and 13.5 rebounds per game. However, his diminished shooting numbers from the field appear to be related to the injury.

Love signed a four-year contract extension with the Cavaliers during the offseason worth $120 million. In the wake of LeBron James‘ departure in free agency, Love was seen as the centerpiece of the team’s rebuilding project.

That effort hasn’t borne any fruit yet, with the Cavaliers having started the season by losing all six of their games. That beginning, coupled with some off-court turmoil, resulted in the dismissal of head coach Tyronn Lue on Sunday morning.

The absence of Love for this extended period could magnify the Cavaliers’ troubles enough for them to engage in a full-blown overhaul of the roster. Depending on what other teams are offering, the Cavaliers have a number of veterans available for contending teams that will be seeking to bolster their own rosters prior to the February trade deadline.

About Brad Sullivan

Brad Sullivan is a lead writer for Cavaliers Nation. He has spent much of life in the Cleveland, Ohio area, and has remained a Cavalier fan from their 1970 beginnings through the return of LeBron James. While that fandom was sorely tested during the Reign of Error known simply by one word, Stepien, that overall historical perspective will be part of his writing for Cavaliers Nation in the months ahead.